Method and apparatus for localization of streaming sources in hearing assistance system

Abstract

A hearing assistance system streams audio signals from one or more streaming sources to a hearing aid set and enhances the audio signals such that the output sounds transmitted to the hearing aid wearer include a spatialization effect allowing for localization of each of the one more streaming sources. The system determines the position of the hearing aid set relative to each streaming source in real time and introduces the spatialization effect for that streaming source dynamically based on the determined position, such that the hearing aid wearer can experience a natural feeing of the acoustic environment.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A hearing assistance system for transmitting sounds to a user, the system comprising:
 a streaming source including a processing circuit configured to produce an audio signal and a streaming circuit configured to stream the audio signal; 
 a hearing aid set configured to be communicatively coupled to the streaming source via a wireless link to receive the streamed audio signal, process the streamed audio signal to produce output sounds, and transmit the output sounds to the user, the output sounds having a spatialization effect allowing the user to locate the streaming source, the hearing aid set including a left hearing aid configured to deliver a left output sound of the output sounds to the user and a right hearing aid configured to deliver a right output sound of the output sounds to the user; 
 a positioning system configured to determine the position of the hearing aid set relative to the streaming source in real time; and 
 a spatialization processor configured to spatially enhance the audio signal using the position of the hearing aid set relative to the streaming source by determining a time delay between the left output sound and the right output sound using the position of the hearing aid set relative to the streaming source and introducing the time delay between the left output sound and the right output sound. 
 
     
     
       2. The system of  claim 1 , wherein the positioning system comprises one or more stations each including a positioning sensor configured to determine at least one of a distance between the hearing aid set and the streaming device and an orientation of the hearing aid set relative to the streaming device. 
     
     
       3. The system of  claim 2 , wherein the streaming source comprises a station of the one or more stations. 
     
     
       4. The system of  claim 2 , wherein the hearing aid set comprises a station of the one or more stations. 
     
     
       5. The system of  claim 2 , further comprising one or more additional streaming sources each including a station of the one or more stations. 
     
     
       6. The system of  claim 2 , wherein the positioning sensor is configured to receive an incident signal and sense one or more of an angle of arrival of the incident signal, a received signal strength of the incident signal, and a time of flight associated with the incident signal. 
     
     
       7. The system of  claim 1 , wherein the processing circuit of the streaming source comprises the spatialization processor configured to spatially enhance the audio signal using the position of the hearing aid set relative to the streaming source, and the hearing aid set is configured to receive and process the spatially enhanced and streamed audio signal to produce the output sounds including the spatialization effect. 
     
     
       8. The system of  claim 1 , wherein the hearing aid set comprises the spatialization processor configured to spatially enhance the audio signal using the position of the hearing aid set relative to the streaming source and process the spatially enhanced streamed audio signal to produce the output sounds including the spatialization effect. 
     
     
       9. The system of  claim 1 , wherein the spatialization processor is configured to determine a level difference between the left output sound and the right output sound using the position of the hearing aid set and spatially enhance the audio signal to introduce the level difference between the left output sound and the right output sound. 
     
     
       10. A hearing assistance system for transmitting sounds to a user, the system comprising:
 a streaming source including a processing circuit configured to produce an audio signal and a streaming circuit configured to stream the audio signal; 
 a hearing aid set configured to be communicatively coupled to the streaming source via a wireless link to receive the streamed audio signal, process the streamed audio signal to produce output sounds, and transmit the output sounds to the user, the output sounds having a spatialization effect allowing the user to locate the streaming source, the hearing aid set including a left hearing aid configured to deliver a left output sound of the output sounds to the user and a right hearing aid configured to deliver a right output sound of the output sounds to the user; 
 a positioning system configured to determine the position of the hearing aid set relative to the streaming source in real time; and 
 a spatialization processor configured to spatially enhance the audio signal using the position of the hearing aid set relative to the streaming source by determining a difference between the left output sound and the right output sound using head related transfer functions and the position of the hearing aid set relative to the streaming source and introducing the difference between the left output sound and the right output sound. 
 
     
     
       11. The system of  claim 10 , wherein the spatialization processor is configured to add reverberation to the audio signal. 
     
     
       12. The system of  claim 11 , wherein at least one of the streaming device and the hearing aid set is configured to monitor an environment of the hearing aid set, and the spatialization processor is configured to add reverberation to the streamed audio signal according to the environment. 
     
     
       13. A hearing assistance system for transmitting sounds to a user, the system comprising:
 a streaming source including a processing circuit configured to produce an audio signal and a streaming circuit configured to stream the audio signal; 
 a hearing aid set configured to be communicatively coupled to the streaming source via a wireless link to receive the streamed audio signal, process the streamed audio signal to produce output sounds, and transmit the output sounds to the user, the output sounds having a spatialization effect allowing the user to locate the streaming source, the hearing aid set including a left hearing aid configured to deliver a left output sound of the output sounds to the user and a right hearing aid configured to deliver a right output sound of the output sounds to the user; 
 a positioning system configured to determine the position of the hearing aid set relative to the streaming source in real time; and 
 a spatialization processor configured to process the audio signal using the position of the hearing aid set relative to the streaming source such that the output sounds include the spatialization effect and configured to add reverberation to the audio signal. 
 
     
     
       14. The system of  claim 13 , wherein at least one of the streaming device and the hearing aid set is configured to monitor an environment of the hearing aid set, and the spatialization processor is configured to add reverberation to the streamed audio signal according to the environment. 
     
     
       15. A method for transmitting sounds to a user, the method comprising:
 streaming an audio signal to a hearing aid set from a streaming source; 
 producing output sounds using the audio signal, including producing a left output sound for transmission to the left ear canal of the user and a right output sound for transmission to the right ear canal of the user; 
 transmitting the output sounds to the user using the hearing aid set; 
 determining a position of the hearing aid set relative to the streaming source in real time; and 
 enhancing the audio signal using the position of the hearing aid set relative to the streaming source such that the output sounds include a spatialization effect allowing the user to locate the streaming source, 
 wherein producing the output sounds includes at least one of: 
 determining a time delay between the left output sound and the right output sound using the position of the hearing aid set and spatially enhancing the audio signal to introduce the time delay between the left output sound and the right output sound; 
 determining a level difference between the left output sound and the right output sound using the position of the hearing aid set and spatially enhancing the audio signal to introduce the level difference between the left output sound and the right output sound; 
 determining a difference between the left output sound and the right output sound using head-related transfer functions and the position of the hearing aid set and spatially enhancing the audio signal to introduce the difference between the left output sound and the right output sound; and 
 monitoring an environment of the hearing aid set and adding reverberation to the streamed audio signal using an outcome of the monitoring. 
 
     
     
       16. The method of  claim 15 , wherein determining the position of the hearing aid set relative to the streaming source comprises receiving an incident signal and sensing one or more parameters of the received incident signal. 
     
     
       17. The method of  claim 16 , wherein determining the position of the hearing aid set relative to the streaming source comprises using a plurality of sensors each receiving an incident signal and sensing one or more of an angle of arrival of the incident signal, a received signal strength of the incident signal, and a time of flight associated with the incident signal. 
     
     
       18. The method of  claim 17 , wherein determining the position of the hearing aid set relative to the streaming source comprises determining the position of the hearing aid set relative to the streaming source using a sensor in the streaming source. 
     
     
       19. The method of  claim 17 , wherein determining the position of the hearing aid set relative to the streaming source comprises determining the position of the hearing aid set relative to the streaming source using a sensor in the hearing aid set. 
     
     
       20. The method of  claim 15 , wherein producing the output sounds comprises:
 determining the time delay between the left output sound and the right output sound using the position of the hearing aid set; and 
 spatially enhancing the audio signal to introduce the time delay between the left output sound and the right output sound. 
 
     
     
       21. The method of  claim 15 , wherein producing the output sounds comprises:
 determining the level difference between the left output sound and the right output sound using the position of the hearing aid set; and 
 spatially enhancing the audio signal to introduce the level difference between the left output sound and the right output sound. 
 
     
     
       22. The method of  claim 15 , wherein producing the output sounds comprises:
 determining the difference between the left output sound and the right output sound using head-related transfer functions and the position of the hearing aid set; and 
 spatially enhancing the audio signal to introduce the difference between the left output sound and the right output sound. 
 
     
     
       23. The method of  claim 15 , wherein producing the output sounds comprises:
 monitoring the environment of the hearing aid set; and 
 adding reverberation to the streamed audio signal using the outcome of the monitoring. 
 
     
     
       24. A method for transmitting sounds to a user, the method comprising:
 streaming an audio signal to a hearing aid set from a streaming source; 
 producing output sounds using the audio signal; 
 transmitting the output sounds to the user using the hearing aid set; 
 determining a position of the hearing aid set relative to the streaming source in real time 
 enhancing the audio signal using the position of the hearing aid set relative to the streaming source such that the output sounds include a spatialization effect allowing the user to locate the streaming source 
 streaming an additional audio signal to the hearing aid set from an additional streaming source simultaneously with streaming the audio signal; 
 producing the output sounds using the audio signal and the additional audio signal; 
 determining a position of the hearing aid set relative to the additional streaming source in real time; and 
 enhancing the additional audio signal using the position of the hearing aid set relative to the additional streaming source such that the output sounds include a spatialization effect allowing the user to locate the streaming source and the additional streaming source. 
 
     
     
       25. The method of  claim 24 , wherein producing the output sounds comprises producing a left output sound for transmission to the left ear canal of the user and a right output sound for transmission to the right ear canal of the user.